BigBand Networks’ modular cable modem termination system (M-CMTS), which supports DOCSIS 3.0 downstream channel bonding, has entered trials with multiple European cable operators, including Multikabel in the Netherlands and Austria’s LiWest Kabelmedien GmbH. BigBand has also provided its M-CMTS platform to operators in North America and Asia as part of an early access program (EAP). Key advantages include quadrupled downstream delivery capacity and convergence of video, data and voice traffic.
DOCSIS 3.0 specifications, developed by CableLabs and EURCableLabs, provide various tools to enhance network functionality, including significantly increasing capacity for IP-based traffic.
BigBand said that unlike traditional CMTS platforms that integrate capabilities on one chassis, a modular CMTS separates functionality onto two platforms. The BigBand Cuda12000 CMTS performs DOCSIS protocol processing on IP packets destined for subscribers. The second platform, the BigBand BEQ6000, delivers these packets to subscribers using RF quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) signaling. Disaggregation of CMTS functionality is designed to open the door to more economical realization of higher broadband speeds and increasing bandwidth flexibility.
“We believe we have a time-to-market lead in M-CMTS, and we’re hoping to extend this advantage to our customers and allow them to benefit from downstream capacity increases, with a cost-effective migration path to DOCSIS 3.0,” said John Connelly, executive vice president of marketing and business development at BigBand Networks.
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